The National tribune., 1887-02-24
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural. Readers
IMPROVE TIE corS CROP.

better seed, and giving the growing crops bet
ter cultivation, and rs the corn crop is by great
odds the most important of all the grain crops
in this country, there cannot be too much said
in its behalf. Very few people have any idea
of the immensely of the corn crop of this coun-
try. The crOpOf 1885 was ZOO, 900 900 bushels,
and for thesix "coTn patches of Iowa, Illinois,
Kansas Nebraska, Indiana aud Missouri over
1000, 100000 of bushels. The crop of lSS6 falls
considerably short of this owing to the severe
and long protracted drouth throughout the
Mississippi Valley. To give your readers a
more definite idea of the magnitude of the
yearly product of corn in the aforementioned
six corn patches. will give few figures L
will put this one years crop on freight cars of
500 bushels each, and find that il will require
100000 cars. They would MAKE one continuous
train reaching half way around the globe. Is
not corn easily king? This vast amount of
corn is yearly turned into beef and pork, and
goes out To feed the civilized world
Let us illustrate a little further Let the
farmers of these six corn patches grow IL ears
where they now grow 10-just the slight I'M
provement of one more ear. We will take this
extra 18th ear aud we find it amounts To nearly
1OO, 900 bushels. At the present price Of
corn this extra 18th ear would bring us the nice
little sum of Si0OOO,OOO.
1t would be a very easy matter for the farm
duce this extra 18th ear, but much more.
1t is evident that by planting better seed and
giving the growing crop better cultivation, the
crop can be increased fully so per cent. both in
quality and quantity, and this can be done
without materially increasing the acreage and
cost of production.
Every intelligent farmer should know carly
in the season how he stands in the way of good
seed. 1t is poor economy to wait till planting
time arrives. Those who are not supplied
should procure il early, and carefully test its
terminating qualities. good way to do this
is to take from % to 100 kernels from as many
ears and put them III a little earth. A still
better way is 10 take small box and fill it
nearly full of well.pulverized earth; then take
two pieces of cotton or wooden batting or old
wooden cloth, place the grains of corn between
the two pieces of batting the germ side
up, and lay them on top the earth keep moist
and warm, and if any of the grains fail to GER
inmate, you can plainly see them. If the seed
is good 1t will terminate in As hours. Care
should be taken TO keep moist and warm. The
writer has tested seed corn in this way in Mid
winter, when the thermometer indicated 40
degrees below zero outside.
Changing seed every three or four years is
always followed by good results providing it
is not changed from south to north any dis
lance. A change of only few miles from
south 10 north does not materially endanger
the crop by making IL late. In regard to the
time of planting the intelligent farmer will
be governed by the location, the condition of
the soil and the aspect of the weather.
Thorough and deep cultivation in its early
stages of growth is essential, but deep cultiva-
ton later III the season will make a large
growth OF stalk, but eDdanger the crop by max
ing it late. This is especially true in high
ATTITUDES, where the seasons are short and I'M
favorable. A long and unproductiye stalk is
not desirable, as it has been shown by actual
observation that an lovergrowth OF stalk is
almost invariably followed by barrenness,
while a medium sized, stocky stalk is always
productive.-A. L. GODDARD, Alpha, Iowa.
Loss OFAgooL.
An inquirer concerning sheep losing their
wool is thus answered In the American Cultira-
tor: "Old sheep. especially of the ine-wooled
varieties sometimes lose patches Of wool from
their breasts or bellies. IL is always a sign that
the animal is feverish, and usually the result of
improper feeding. Giving too much grain, es-
pecially OF corn, Is a common cause of this
trouble. Sheep thin in flesh have weak digest
ion, but even the strongest are easily injured
by giving corn too freely. Unless care is taken
of such sheep some will probably die before
Spring. The weakly ones should be kept by
themselves, not for the purpose of feeding more
heavily, but more carefully. 1t is better TO give
no grain at first, but tone up the digestive
organs with bran and well-cured clover hay,
taking care TO give no more than will be eaten
clean at each meal II will do an over-fed,
feverish sheep good to be thoroughly hungry
once or twice a day. Better that, with good
appetite than the lOathing of all food which
comes from indigestion. The manure should
be cleaned out frequently and a good bed Of
clean straw provided"
THE MAMMOTH DEwBERRY.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: "W. +. NJ"
inquiries about the Mammoth dewberry. /
have been trying TO grow il for several years,
but with poor success. / have tried it on sew
oral kinds of soil, and think il very uncertain
in this latitude. l have some experience in
smalI-iruits, and will answer any questions re-
garding small-fruits that NV. T.. NJ" may de-
sire, as far as / am able.-C. +. GooDRIcH,
Pendleton, Ind.
PEANUTS.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Can anyone
experienced in raising peanuts give me full
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. COOPER, Newport, Brown
Co, Neb.
LovErTs GUIDE TO FRUIT CULTURE
Very few are aware of the advances being
made in horticulture and the nursery business
who have not seen Lovett's Guide TO Fruit Cul-
ture for 1887. The fruits now offered are in
many instances, so vastly superior TO those of
the past that they can be regarded as little less
than marvellous. Not only have advances been
accomplished IN the fruits themselves; for the
improvements in distributing the trees and
plants that produce them in all parts Of the
country have been equally great. By these
modern methods farmer or fruit grower can
sit at his tireside and, in addition to having
nursery stock delivered at his home at half the
cost oil the old way, get Just what he wants and
orders, absolutely true 10 name and in perfect
condition for growing at the proper season for
planting. Loyetts Guide tells the whole story
about the fruits giving their defects as well as
their merits), how TO plant, cultivate and prune
them, ETC., and the way to obtain them by mail,
express or freight. Rarely have we found such
fund Of valuable information in such clear
and condensed form. The Guide is book of
40 pages, elegantly printed, sumptuously illus
trated throughout, and embellished with
beautiful chTOmo-litbographic cover and sew
eral artisticaly executed colored plates of fruits
IL is mailed applicants forl10 cents, or without
plates for cents. Pamphlets and circulars
mailed free. Address J. 4. LOvett, Little Sill
yer n. j. .
NorEss.
Keep Jack Frost away from your cows,
and you will have no witches in your churn.
- If there is a buZzing and roaring in
hive in the dead of Winter there is something
wrong
- Don't let the cattle 60 upon icy yards or
highways, for a little slip may cost more than
enough to pay man month for caring for
the animals in the stable.
- Irregular feeding viii do more to cause
cows to dry off than any other method, while
the practice of il is extravaeant, inducing waste
and loss of time.
If your hay is falling short cut the hay